Aquilaria agallocha - Agaru - അകില്‍

Botanical Name :

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.

Family :

Thymeleaceae

Vernacular Names :

Malayalam : Karakil, Akil - അകില്‍ 

English : Aloe wood, Eagle wood

Sanskrit : Aguruh, Krsnaguruh, Agaru, Krimi jagdham, Yojakam, Raajaarham, 
                 Pravara, Vamshika, Vamshakam, Krimijam  

Hindi : Agar 

Bangali : Agaru

Tamil : Agar, Agali chandana, Krishnnagaru

Gujarathi : Agar

Kannada : Krisnagaru

Telugu : Krsnagaru

Oodh - ഊദ് :
Formation of agarwood occurs in the trunk and roots of trees that have been infected by a parasitc ascomycetous mold, Phaeoacremonium parasitica adematiaceous (dark-walled) fungus. As a response, the tree produces a resin high in volatile organic compounds that aids in suppressing or retarding the fungal growth, a process called tylosis. While the unaffected wood of the tree is relatively light in colour, the resin dramatically increases the mass and density of the affected wood, changing its colour from a pale beige to dark brown or black. In natural forest only about 7% of the trees are infected by the fungus. A common method in artificial forestry is to inoculate all the trees with the fungus.

Plant Description :

A large evergreen tree about 21 m in height and 1.5-2.4 m in girth with somewhat straight and fluted stem; leaves linear-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, 5-9 cm long, silky glossy and faintly parallel nerved; flowers small, greenish on very slender pilose petioles in shortly peduncled umbels, on younger branchlets, perianth about 5 mm long, slightly hairy outside, stapens alternate the perianth, filaments red at the apex, ovary tawny-tomentose; fruits slightly compressed, yellowish tomentose capsules. Commercially used fragrant-resinous agar wood is formed in the interior of the old tree. The tree contains plenty of oleoresin and has irregular dark patches. The wood burns with a bright flame giving off a pleasant smell .

Chemical Composition : 

The normal wood yields and essential oil which contains selinene, dihydroselinene, two unidentified sesquiterpene-hydrocarbons. agarol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, a hydroxy ketone. five isomeric decenes and rhombic as S-isopropyl-7-methyl- 5,5.5a, 6.7. 8-hexahydro-3H-naphtho. Agar wood, on distillation, yields an essential oil known as Agar Oil.

Rasaadhi Gunaas : 

Rasa : Thiktham, Katu, Kashaya
Guna : Lakhu, Rooksham, Theekshnnam
Veeryam : Ushnnam
Vipakam : Katu

Useful Parts :

Heartwood 

Oil

Indications : 

01. Dushta vrannam

02. Vatha raktha

03. Visham 

04. Itching

05. Vata kapha hara

06. Halitosis 

07. Dyspepsia

08. Anorexia

09. Cardiac debility

10. Skin disease

11. Inflammations

12. Rheumatoid arthritis

13. Cough

14. Asthma

15. Hiccough

16. Kidney disease 

17. General debility

18. Bed wetting 

19. Urine related disorders

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